"The people walking in darkness"

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

—Isaiah 9:1-2

When’s the last time you were totally in the dark? Did you lose power for days during the windstorm? Have you ever seen a sky with zero light pollution while camping or in the wilderness? Maybe you’ve felt the presence of darkness mentally, emotionally, or spiritually even in a fully lighted room. On this, the day after the longest night of the year, let us remember that we get to follow Jesus, who says,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The light that Isaiah speaks of prophetically is Jesus. Jesus, who grew up in Galilee, who tells us to follow him, the great light, is the one who drives out the existentially fraught, terrifying darkness that threatens to swallow us sometimes. Jesus is God. Jesus is with us. Jesus is the light that overcomes the darkness.